The Chairman of the House and Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee announced on Monday a compromise plan to fix the veterans' health program, authorizing $17 billion in emergency spending.

The Veterans' Administration has recently been beset by scandal over wait times with veterans dying while waiting for treatment, and appointment schedule cover ups. The scandal led to the resignation of VA Secretary Eric Shinseki.

The emergency spending would support 27 new clinics, hire more doctors and nurses, and make it easier for veterans to get prompt outside care if there is a delay with the VA service or if a veteran lives too far away from one of the nation's 1,000 VA hospitals. The plan would also give the VA Secretary new powers to fire personnel for incompetence and cover-ups.

"This bill makes certain that we address the immediate crisis of veterans being forced on long waiting lines for healthcare," Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders told reporters at a press conference. "The VA it will be able to hire the doctors, nurses and medical personnel it needs so we can put a permanent end to long waiting lists."

Senator Sanders said the bill also addressed the serious problems of accountability, dishonesty and incompetence so that senior officials don't remain employed. Under the bill, the secretary can fire someone within 21 days.

Florida Republican Congressman Jeff Miller, Chair of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, wanted personnel to have no chance of appeal. Miller said of the bill, "It starts a conversation about the VA for the future. The veterans of this country deserve the best quality of healthcare they can get in a timely fashion and that has not been the case."

Miller added, "The VA is not sacred, the veteran is."

Other provisions of the bill include improving delivery of care to veterans who experience sexual trauma while serving in the military; the John David Price Scholarship will be extended to include surviving spouses of the armed forces who died in the line of duty and lets all veterans qualify for in-state tuition under the post 9-11 G.I. bill.

The compromise bill was reached negotiating a Senate proposal that would have cost $25 billion over three years, and a House version with $10 billion in emergency spending, with a promise of more in the future under normal congressional budgeting.

The deal requires a vote by the Veterans Affairs Conference Committee of Senate and House negotiators, and a full vote by the House and Senate. Committee chairs were hopeful this would be achieved before the August recess this week. The Senate is also expected to vote to confirm Robert McDonald as the new VA secretary.